Smart relief for autistic kids

THE reminder that a dog is man’s best friend comes so often that it’s easy to forget the power of those words. Slowly, organisations like Smart Pups are teaching us that those words are changing young lives.
The Pomona-based not-for-profit organisation specialises in providing trained service dogs to assist children with special needs.
As more locals learn about Smart Pups and the amazing work they do, the more they marvel at the positive changes that occur between a child and a Smart Pup over time.
One local business decided to give Smart Pups a call to make a donation last week. They were delighted when not only a few representatives turned up to say thank you, but when some Smart Pups in training came along as well; hearts melted and big smiles appeared.
The Cooroy Community Bank branch of Bendigo Bank handed over $325 from an internal fund-raiser to Janelle and Kylie from Smart Pups last week, and it was hard to get the team back to work after the pups left.
“The more we learn about the work these guys do, the more you want to give. In our case, we hope this is the beginning of a lot more over time, but the gift Smart Pups brings to improve the quality of life of children with autism and seizure-related syndromes is simply incredible,” Geoff said.
Janelle Denny from Smart Pups said each pooch reduced stress level in children and had a profound effect on the day-to-day lives of the child and family.
“Since we launched the charity in 2011, our organisation has placed 71 dogs with families. At the moment, we have another 48 families on our register. Each dog is placed at 12-18 months of age, and is granted full public access and they accompany families on shopping trips, outings and even holidays. The dog becomes an integral part of the recipient family’s life,” Janelle said.
“We don’t receive any official government funding, so we rely solely on donations, grants and fund-raising activities to operate. That’s why donations just like this one from Bendigo Bank are so valued and so important to us,” she added.
If you would like to know more about Smart Pups and the work they do on the Sunshine Coast, call 5485 0031 or email enquiries@smartpups.org.au .